At nuclear power plants having nuclear reactors, spent nuclear fuel is stored in deep reservoirs of water, called “spent fuel pools.” When a spent fuel pool reaches its spent fuel capacity limit, or when the nuclear power plant undergoes a complete removal of spent fuel from the spent fuel pool at the end of the life of the facility, the fuel is transferred into metal canisters having final closure lids that are welded closed or sealed with mechanical means at the power plants following spent fuel loading. The sealed canister is then placed into a concrete storage overpack which serves as an enclosure that provides mechanical protection, heat removal features, and radiation shielding for the inner metal canister that encloses the radioactive material. The concrete overpack, which contains the canister within which the radioactive materials are stored, is then placed in the designated secure location outside of the nuclear power plant structure, yet on owner controlled property so as to ensure proper controls and monitoring of the concrete storage overpack containing the metal canister are performed.
The process of removing the spent fuel from the spent fuel storage pool, placing the spent fuel into a metal canister, and placing the metal canister into the concrete storage overpack involves the use of overhead cranes and associated lifting and rigging systems, which are thoroughly evaluated and tested prior to use to ensure that positive, safe control of the components being handled is assured during all normal and credible scenarios, including the possibility of a seismic event. The evaluations, processes, and controls employed to ensure that these components are safely handled at the nuclear power facility are subject to regulatory review and approval. Furthermore, it is important to note that the concrete storage overpack within which the metal canister is stored meets only the regulatory requirements for storage and not off-site transportation of the canisters. Regulations associated with off-site transportation require the use of a specially designed off-site transportation cask, which is quite different in design and materials from the concrete storage overpack and licensed for use by the regulatory authorities under different rules and regulations than those used to authorize concrete storage overpacks.
Upon reaching the end of life for the nuclear power plant, many owners choose to completely remove the spent fuel from the spent fuel storage pool and place it into dry storage concrete overpacks, as outlined above, in an effort to minimize expenses associated with facility operation. Once the spent fuel has been relocated, the existing facility may then be demolished and removed from the owner's property. When this is accomplished, only the concrete or concrete/metal storage overpacks containing the metal canisters within which the spent nuclear fuel and radioactive materials remain. When the need to remove the metal canisters from the site arises, the metal canisters are transferred from the concrete storage overpacks to off-site transportation casks. However, since the structures containing the overhead cranes have been demolished and removed from the site, there is no installed means with which to facilitate transfer of the metal canisters from the concrete storage overpacks to the off-site transportation casks.